From my e-mail box:

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., takes a break from being pummeled about the head and shoulders for her no vote on health care to file this Veteran’s Day op-ed, which provides an overview of some of the veteran-related legislation Congress is working on:  

Honoring Our Veterans

-Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

     As we observe Veterans Day this year, I would like to recognize all of those who have bravely served our country in uniform and offer my gratitude on behalf of a grateful nation. South Dakotans have bravely answered the call to serve for generations. Men and women from our state have served in every conflict this nation has seen in the 20th century — including our current missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I salute their memory and honor their bravery. 
     This patriotic sense of duty to country is one of the many reasons why I am proud to represent South Dakota in Congress and serve on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chair its Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. As a member of this committee, I have been committed to ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they deserve such as

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Oft-praised bill would cost practically nothing.

By Denise Ross

Tired of the health care debate yet? If so, too bad as it’s likely to dominate Capitol Hill news throughout the end of the year. Here’s some health care news about SD’s House member that’s not been widely reported and might even become relevant in the coming weeks.

I wrote a recent newspaper column about Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s co-sponsorship of a health care reform bill that would, among other things, end Medicaid. It also would be cheap, according to the CBO, and would cover everyone via a mandate. (Read the full column on the jump.)

The Healthy Americans Act would require everybody to buy health insurance, would provide government subsidies to help the poor and near-poor buy insurance and would mandate that insurance companies cover all comers, thereby ending practices such as capping lifetime benefits.

Americans would buy health insurance from a marketplace of plans, called pools, set up by state or region. Each plan would be required to meet minimum standards.

The HAA, also called the Wyden-Bennett bill, has not gained the support of South Dakota’s two senators. Others are apparently offering some lip service to the bill. This from Wikipedia:

According to Ezra Klein of The Washington Post, the list of HAA Republican supporters is deceptive: “The plan has a lot more fake support than it has real support. If every Republican who has co-sponsored [HAA] would commit to voting for it, the plan might pass. But they haven’t.”

To read what I wrote about HAA, click “CLICK HERE” below.

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By Denise Ross

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-SD, shed her usually genteel tone during a conference call with reporters Thursday when she was asked about criticism that moderate Blue Dog Dems (of which she is one) were being unduly influenced on the ongoing health care debate by campaign contributions from the health insurance industry.

“Ridiculous!” she said, adding that she had recently delivered a verbal beat-down to her fellow House Dems, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during a recent closed-door caucus meeting.

I don’t appreciate any of my colleagues bringing that kind of argument into this debate, she said. It’s so disappointing to hear this, from fellow Democrats in particular.

SHS said that Blue Dogs claim among their ranks some of the most strident critics of the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

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By Denise RossIf you’re growing weary of screaming about health care reform, there’s another song on the political season of discontent’s hit parade: climate legislation, known by various names depending on the political leanings of who’s talking.South Dakota’s congressional delegation has as diverse a set of views as possible, considering their tiny numbers. Johnson’s for it; Thune’s against it; Herseth Sandlin wants to be for it but isn’t just yet.

“Soon the Senate will consider climate change legislation that could finally help South Dakota to live up to its wind generating potential and capture the benefits of a cash crop that is just blowing across our landscape,” Johnson wrote in a recent op-ed.

Thune, on the other hand, has vowed to fight the bill “with every fiber of my being.” (Insert joke about windy politicians here.)There’s also Matt McGovern, of the Mitchell McGoverns, heading up the SoDak office of Repower America, that group Al Gore’s involved with. He showed up at a confab in Rapid City this week to tout the benefits of the bill to a group of hostiles. Kevin Woster covered the meeting. Read that here.

 ”This is a great bill for South Dakota,” McGovern said.

I learned all of this when I wrote a recent newspaper column about it. To read the full column, click “CLICK HERE” below.

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By Denise Ross

It’s a blue, blue, blue, blue world on Capitol Hill these days, and I’m not talking about Democrats. Or at least not most of them. It’s the Blue Dogs, a group that’s most likely crossed into overexposure as some sort of health care reform careens through a tension-filled August recess.

As I wrote in a recent newspaper column, South Dakota’s own Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., holds a key position within the Blue Dog coalition and, therefore, a key position in the ongoing health care reform debate. Her assessment so far: No deal. (Read the full column on the jump.)

Herseth Sandlin said that she can’t lend her support to any House legislation yet, but she’s watching to see whether some provisions now under negotiation make the final cut. Specifically, she’s looking for small business protections, a continuation of the private insurance market and a requirement that any public plan negotiate with providers and not simply impose Medicare payment rates. 

SHS said she’s most hopeful about what might come out of the Senate Finance Committee, which has continued bipartisan negotiations into the recess. Specifically, SHS and the BDs are looking for cost control, something she said is largely missing from the collection of competing bills unveiled so far.  

Blue Dogs believe it’s fundamental to reform to control rising costs but also to improve access and quality. It must be deficit neutral and bend the cost curve.

It’s been noted on other blogs that SHS hasn’t scheduled any town hall meetings to discuss this during her time back in the state. For those who are upset about this, what are the provisions and priorities that she’s outlined with which you disagree or agree? Perhaps blog comments can provide some sort of dialogue on the specifics of this key issue.  

To read the full column, click “CLICK HERE” below.

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By Denise Ross

South Dakota’s congresswoman, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, told reporters Thursday that she can’t support any of the various versions of health care reform legislation now being worked on in the US House.

I’m not able to support the bill in its current form, she said on a conference call.

SHS said she believes the well-known Blue Dog coalition, of which she is a leader, has had a positive impact on the House bill(s) - especially when it comes to cost containment, but she’s more interested in what might come out of the Senate Finance Committee.

 The bill started out where the more liberal members of the (House Dem) caucus wanted to be. … 

(What comes out of Senate Finance) will be a product I might find more appealing than what emerges from committees in the House. I’m pleased I’ll have time to see what this group comes up with in the Senate.

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By Denise Ross

As one political observer put it to me, The Blue Dogs have never been so en vogue. I’m guessing they’re not so popular around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, however.

The US House’s Blue Dog coalition of moderate/conservative Dems is now mentioned in most stories about the ongoing Capitol Hill healthcare reform debate. That’s because they have become the gatekeepers on any legislation. If they like it, it moves forward. If they don’t, it’s see ya later.

South Dakota’s own Stephanie Herseth Sandlin holds a key post in Blue Dog leadership, maker her bluer than blue I suppose. And today she’s delivering the bad news that what had just yesterday been proclaimed a “breakthrough” probably isn’t after all. So say the Blue Dogs.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., a co-chair of the centrist House Blue Dog Democrat Coalition, told reporters that the deal is being re-assessed because the Congressional Budget Office found it would only save $2 billion over 10 years.

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By Denise Ross

In a word, the answer is Zachary. So the very reason I predicted Stephanie Herseth Sandlin would run for governor turns out to be the reason she won’t. (I think I’m going to start predicting that I won’t win the Powerball.)

Earlier this month, South Dakota’s lone US House member ended the suspense that had preoccupied any legitimate political junkie who follows events in the Rushmore State. She will run for re-election to the US House, the least risky move. In a recent newspaper column, I did a Q&A with SHS about her decision-making process. It boiled down to the potential for a grueling gubernatorial campaign and the likely detrimental effects that would have on her 7-month-old son, Zachary Lars. (Read the full column on the jump.)

I just felt that what is best for Zachary is what balance we’ve been able to find these past seven months, she told me.

So the question we will never know the answer to - and the question I neglected to ask - is if she were not a new mother, would she have made a different decision?

I do think she was tempted by the prospect of a gubernatorial run, as evidenced by her answer given on the jump. She clearly had thought it through. She’d even listened to pitches promoting the Pierre school district for the future young scholar, Zachary.

She also said her decision isn’t part of some grand scheme to run for Tim Johnson’s Senate seat in four years. She re-iterated what Johnson’s staff says - don’t assume he’s retiring at the end of this term.

Sen. Johnson retiring is an assumption it’s too soon for anyone to make.

Read everything Stephanie told me by clicking “CLICK HERE” below.

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By Denise Ross

I’ve been remiss in not posting this before now. Shortly after I wrote a newspaper column about Sen. Tim Johnson staking out lonely but historic ground in trying to reform the nation’s broken system for drawing congressional districts, South Dakota’s own Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and her fellow Blue Dog Dems showed up to make it a party. (Read the press release on the jump.)

“All too often redistricting is plagued by partisan politics, and this bill seeks to remove that from this process,” said one of SHS’s fellow Blue Dogs.

I could be happier only if this bill could get as much attention as did Sen. John Thune’s concealed-carry bill. And if Thune spoke up in favor of this, too. Beuhler?

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By Denise Ross

So Stephanie’s running for the House again and all the great political theater that would have been won’t be. Little chance of the Republicans quivering in fear that they’ll lose the governor’s seat for the first time in a generation. No open House seat.

Besides being a tad boring, it’s hard to fault the congresswoman for her choice. It’s a safe choice, and she’s got a meaty job with the Blue Dogs. Plus there’s no rule that says she can’t run for governor some other time. She does have plenty of time left.

Now, the Democrats have the unenviable task of trying to mount a credible offense against the traditionally dominant Republicans in the gubernatorial race. Ditto in taking on Sen. John Thune.

Republicans have the same task when it comes to taking on Herseth Sandlin.

In other words, business as usual.

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